Adulterous husband seduced mistress using £46k in wife's name

To the woman he seduced, Kevin Wilson was a university-educated butterfly expert who showered her with lavish gifts.

Dazzled by exotic holidays, expensive jewellery and a VW car, Deborah Irwin fell in love with the 46-year-old man she believed was getting divorced and lived with his mother.

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In reality, Wilson was an unemployed car plant worker living on invalidity benefit with his wife of 23 years.

The gifts his lover received over their two-year affair were paid for by a £46,000 loan he took out against his family home, having forged his wife's signature.

Wilson's elaborate double life was laid bare as he was given a nine-month prison sentence suspended for two years for deception and forgery.

The father of two, who also admitted harassing Mrs Irwin after she uncovered his web of lies and broke off their relationship, had just retired from a Nissan production line on health grounds in 2001 when they met at the school gates where they were waiting to collect their children.

She was a twice-married primary teacher with three children, and both lived in Washington, Tyne and Wear.

Tim Parkin, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "He told Mrs Irwin he had left his wife and moved in with his mother, but that was untrue.

"Throughout the entire period of their relationship this defendant neither had a job nor lived anywhere other than with his wife and children.

"He did however, begin to spend money on Deborah Irwin, buying jewellery and began having periods away in expensive hotels, despite the fact he remained with his wife.

"In April 2003 he proposed to Miss Irwin and as far as she was concerned they became engaged."

By then, Wilson had taken on her debts, bought her a VW Beetle, taken her on holiday to the Gambia, and concocted a series of lies about his life.

When Mrs Irwin had the opportunity to buy her council house he took out the loan on his family

home to go towards the purchase.

He then claimed to have been offered a job at Sheffield University working in lepidoptery - the study of butterflies - and could only return at weekends.

He also told Mrs Irwin he was unable to spend Christmas with her because he was in hospital in Sheffield with measles.

This was a lie too far, because Wilson was then spotted by a friend of Mrs Irwin in Washington and she became suspicious.

Mrs Irwin went to the home he said he shared with his mother and saw his car outside. She telephoned him to confront him about the sighting and at first he claimed it was a case of mistaken identity.

But when Mrs Irwin went round to his house again, his lies were exposed and their relationship came to an abrupt end.

It was only then that Wilson's unsuspecting wife, Sharon, 45, realised that he had taken out a loan secured on their home by forging her signature on a series of application forms.

In the weeks that followed, the court heard that Wilson harassed Mrs Irwin, insisting that she pay back the money he had splashed out on her during their two-year affair.

He even sent her a series of bogus letters claiming to be from financial institutions.

Mrs Irwin, who has since returned the car and jewellery, was due to give evidence at Wilson's trial but at the beginning he pleaded guilty to all charges.

Tony Davis, defending, told the court that Wilson's wife, a nursery nurse, is standing by her husband and that the couple are now pursuing a civil action against his former lover to reclaim the money they claim she owes.

Sentencing Wilson, Judge Esmond Faulks said: "I'm told your wife remained with you despite all this and it is her earnings which are now going to pay off that large loan.

"It does not seem she has benefited in any way at all and it will take another seven years to pay off that loan."